The Politics Thread

[Vee]

Speaking of Carter Page:

[Ms. Quartermaine]

Looks like Trump campaign has been prepping Trump more than they let on. 

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-builds-clinton-profile-debate-228578

 

Building psychological profile of Hillary based on 16 years of footage but not clear the Trump is taking their advice, lol.

[quartermainefan]

Bill Clinton said the other day that there is one bigotry left that America stands by:  the dislike of people we disagree with.  That is sort of what has contributed to the divide:  people only want to talk to people they agree with, and watch news they agree with,  and so news that is the truth is suspect now.   I have democrat and republican friends and I don't let their voting patterns factor into my friendships with them because that is just a very impractical way of keeping friends.   You will wind up discarding friends every election, and that means they really weren't your friends at all.   My roommate at college is a diehard republican, but we have been friends 30 years.  There is no way either one of us would even consider not liking each other anymore because of some election.   Elections come and go.    Hillary herself is friends with people who will vote for Trump; everyone should follow her openmindedness.   Look at Bill and the Bushes.  They were rivals in the 90s, and today are tight friends.   That's a better policy than the Trumpian/Palinesque attitude of hating and demonizing everyone they disagree with, no?

[JaneAusten]

You seriously are not comparing staying friends with someone who has political differences and opinions different than people who are blatantly racist. Gee let's all tolerate racism and bigotry and just nod our heads and enable it. I guess all those Germans who turned their heads to genocide were a-ok also. I've had friends for years who are on the opposite end of the spectrum but I put a line in place when people are openly hostile. I was at a party 2 weeks ago and 2 of my best friends are a gay male couple. A friend of mind came up to me and said why did they let those "fags" come. Something I never thought I would hear from her. I said what exactly did you say. She said nothing and I walked away from her. And this is someone I thought I better of than that. Was she ashamed I doubt it. She had no qualms saying this to me knowing these two were good friends of mine, so pardon me for being outraged. And if you think this is just about political or irrelevant differences, I don't know what to say. Enablers to this kind of hatred don't get my pity either nor do people who act so impressed that the "carnival barker" has conned a lot of gullible Americans into believing in him.

Edited September 24, 2016 by JaneAusten

[marceline]

I'm the person who was wondering how to stay friends with Trump supporters.

 

For me this isn't about disagreement. I've disagreed with these friends for years but now we are reliving the run up to the Third Reich. They're voting for fascism. There's got to be a limit. I'm a black woman. How am I supposed to stay friends with people literally voting for people who think I'm subhuman? This isn't about tax policy or the TPP. This is life or death on a lot of levels. This is the possibility of nuclear war. Trump in office will unleash a wave of white supremacist violence that will make what we're dealing with now look like nap time.  We'll be dealing with suicide bombings on American soil because if you're looking to radicalize Muslims he's a gold mine.

 

I have Republican friends and pro-life friends and friends who don't like immigration but I can't have Trump friends. It would be a form of self-hatred to keep these people in my life after this.

 

ETA: LOL! Jane and I were apparently typing in a mind meld.

Edited September 24, 2016 by marceline

[Vee]

The threat of electing Donald Trump is the closest America has come to an extinction level threat in my personal history. He makes George W. Bush look like Eisenhower. Were he elected I would give very, very serious thought to clearing out of the country.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Vee

[Ms. Quartermaine]

Just want to say ditto to Jane and marceline's posts regarding disagreement in this election. 

Edited September 24, 2016 by Ms. Quartermaine

[JaneAusten]

It scares me to think people like Quartermainefan above think this is just about political differences. Blinded to the divisiveness he exploited for his benefit.  Not only have those differences been highlighted and exploited they have led to an increase in hate crimes, blatant bigotry which I think we all hoped had disappeared from the mainstream and now it's ok. Those who believe this is just about political differences need to take a close look as to why so many are terrified of this man being elected. I may have disliked George Bush and believe his administration responsible for a lot of what we are still dealing with today, but I wasn't afraid. Imagine how the Jews felt with the election of Hitler and the gradual movement to curb their rights. People who can't see this coming are fooling themselves and if Trump were to win, this movement would escalate even moreso all over Europe. And yes I think extinction is possible because terrorism would be on the increase, we'd end up unleashing a nuclear bomb or two in the middle east, and then have several aimed at us and those 1.5 billion muslims around the world, including countries which doe have nuclear power(Pakistan) would take aim at us.

[Ms. Quartermaine]

I hope Hillary can win Ohio. Just looked it up, and Bill won Ohio in 92 and 96, Bush in 00 and 04. Then as we know Obama in 08 and 12. I didn't write down the exact percentages, but from I'm recalling, it's seemed pretty close throughout the years... 

[Roman]

nobody IMPO owes anyone any explanation about who they deal with and why. the same people who call out those for being 'closed-minded' do the very same things themselves. Do you. if you're being rude....feel how you feel. and IMO you're right...if one doesn't want to put up with certain behaviors they don't have to. 

[JaneAusten]

I somewhat agree with you but this is different IMO. This isn't about policy differences this is about genuine decency, respect, tolerance and on the opposite side fear mongering. I have a real problem despite policy differences(and they do exist) that race baiting and bigotry is now being made acceptable and excused using the fact we have become too politically correct and that even with policy differences a very high percentage of people in this country are ok with that. Ignoring fear mongering and hate rhetoric enables it and staying quiet or excusing it is the same thing the "good" Germans did under Hitler. And those who feel this doesn't or can't apply to them or is no big deal, should remember this

 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

 

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

 

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

This by the way is exactly whats happening in Russia

[marceline]

This election is a defining moment. It's not just about the country or our democracy but our humanity. The sad thing is that if we survive this election, the same people who brought us to the brink of this destruction - the media, the Berners, the Dems who don't show up to midterms, the millennials who think that voting is about choosing a soulmate, the Republicans, etc...will go right back to their destructive behavior. Deep in my heart I'd like to think that this election would be a turning point for this country. It SHOULD be a turning point for this country but it won't.

[Vee]

Trump invited Gennifer Flowers to the debate.

 

I am still not convinced he'll turn up.

[marceline]

I think he'll show for the first but none of the others.

[DramatistDreamer]

Every Presidential election cycle, the PBS series Frontline does an episode called The Choice. It's been on my mind for over a month now and it appears that that the episode's premier is this coming Tuesday.  

It's usually done quite well in the past but the subjects of this series usually have a serious history of public service and political engagement, which made me wonder from what angle will their profile of Trump be done? I saw a clip and it seems to be in the usual tone of a Frontline episode but then when they got to Omarosa's comments, I thought I was going to lose my lunch. I used to think she was a joke but that moment made me legitimately loathe her. 

 

This made me genuinely wonder whether I'll be able to make it through a Frontline episode which I've never before questioned and if you're familiar with the Frontline series, you know they often tackle some difficult subject matter.